Detachable nose guard for athletic helmets



M. T. MARIETTA DETACHABLE NOSE GUARD FOR ATHLETIC HELMETS March 3, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 29, 1961 INVENTOR MLCHAEL TMARIETTA BY M ATTORNEY March 3, 1964 M. T. MARIETTA 3,122,752

DETACHABLE NOSE GUARD F OR ATHLETIC HELMETS Filed March 29, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR MICHAEL T. MARIETTA BY ma /4%.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,122,752 DETACHABLE NOSE GUARD FOR ATHLETIC IELMETS Michael T. Marietta, 5538 University Blvd, Dallas, Tex. Filed Mar. 29, 1961, Ser. No. 99,267 3 Claims. (Cl. 29)

This invention relates to a detachable nose guard to be used in association with athletic helmets, such as football helmets which have a face guard secured thereto.

It is Well known to provide an athletic helmet with a face guard including a generally U-shaped bar or bars having mounting arms at their free ends, the mounting arms being secured by screws or other type fasteners to the depending side portions of the helmet which cover the ears of the wearer. Frequently, however, such face guards do not afford adequate protection for the nose of the wearer. The nose guardof this invention is especially adapted for attachment to a helmet of this type but may also be used in association with other types of helmet attached face guards.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a nose guard which may be readily attached to and detached from a helmet of the type previously described with minimum modification of the existing helmet structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a nose guard which may be replaced when Worn or damaged without replacement of the face guard.

Another object of the invention is to provide a nose guard which can be readily manufactured in its entirety from plastic material such as nylon or hard rubber.

Another object of the invention is to provide a nose guard of the type generally described wherein the nose protecting bar is of metal and is sheathed in plastic or rubber material.

With these and other objects in view, which will become more readily apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a helmet and face guard with the nose guard secured thereto.

FIGURE 2 is a rear perspective view of the nose guard and the fastening elements employed to secure the same to the helmet and the face guard.

FIGURE 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1 and showing an embodiment wherein the nose guard includes a metal :bar enclosed in a plastic or rubber tubular member.

FIGURE 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a helmet and face guard showing a modified type of nose guard secured thereto.

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation of the assembled helmet, face guard and nose guard shown in FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is an exploded front elevation of the nose guard and face guard prior to assembly.

FIGURE 9 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of the lower attaching means shown in FIGURE 8.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A represents a football helmet having a face protector B secured to the depending ear covering portion C of the helmet while D designates generally the nose guard of my invention.

The nose guard D consists of, in one embodiment of the invention, a one-piece plastic member including a 3,122,752 Patented Mar. 3, 1964 "ice curved elongated nose protecting bar lti having an attaching plate 11 at its upper end, and an attaching clamp 12 at its lower end. The attaching plate 11 is provided with wing portions 13, 13 each of which is provided with openings 14, 14. The inner face of the plate 11 is provided with a centrally disposed recess 15 adapted to straddle a strap 16 which is located on the outer surface of the helmet and extends down to the forehead engaging portion thereof. A depression 17 is provided in the recess 15 so as to accommodate the head of a screw 13 used in the original assembly of the helmet to secure the components together.

The attaching clamp 12 extends laterally outwardly from each side of the bar 10 and is provided with a centrally disposed bore in the shape of a keyhole slot 19 forming spaced apart legs or side walls 20. The space between the side walls 20 is less than the diameter of the uppermost bar B of the face guard; however, due to the resiliency of the plastic material, the side walls will spread apart and straddle bar B when sufficient downward pressure is applied and thus permit the bar B to enter the enlarged portion 19' of slot 19. In order to more securely attach the clamp 12 to bar B, registering openings 21 are provided in each of the side Walls 20 on either side of a notch 22 formed in the rear side wall 20 and a notch 23 formed in the front side Wall 20. By notching the side walls in this fashion, a tighter gripping action is obtained when fasteners are applied through openings 21 and tightened.

The nose guard is attached to the helmet by first drilling openings 24, 24 through the forehead engaging portion of the helmet. The clamp 12 is snapped over the bar B' of the face guard and the plate 11 is positioned so that the recess 15 straddles the helmet strap 16 and the openings 14, 14 are in registry with openings 24, 24 formed in the helmet. The nose guard is then secured in position by use of fasteners of the type comprising a threaded screw 26 and an internally threaded sleeve 27 which are applied through the aforesaid registering openings in the clamp, plate and helmet. The flexible nature of the clamp 12 permits the side walls 20 to be drawn slightly toward each other when the bolts are tightened, which along with the keyhole shape of the slot 19 provides a positive positioning means for the lower portion of the nose guard.

In another embodiment of the invention in lieu of the solid bar 10, the nose protecting portion of the device may be tubular as indicated at 28 in FIGURE 3 and molded or otherwise formed integral with the plate 11 and clamp 12. A curved metal bar 29 is then inserted into the tube 28 to impart the necessary rigidity thereto. Also, if desired, the entire nose protecting device may be formed of metal in the same configuration as shown in FIGURE 2 and then a coating of plastic or rubber may be applied thereto.

FIGURES 6-9 show a modification of the nose guard and attaching means disclosed in FIGURES 1-5. In this form of the invention, the lower portion of bar 10 is provided with an axial bore forming a socket 30, which receives a stud 31 formed integral with and projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the face guard bar B. The end of bar 10 is bifurcated or cut away as at 10 to provide oppositely disposed legs 32 which straddle bar B when the nose guard is in assembled position. Although the fit between stud 31 and the socket 30 is a substantially tight friction fit and the legs 32 exert a gripping action on bar B, nevertheless, means are provided to prevent accidental separation of the lower portion of the bar 10 from the face guard. This positive fastening means is effected by providing aligned openings 34, 34 in the side wall of the socket 30 and by further providing a transverse opening 35 through the stud 31 which Opening will register with openings 34, 34 When bar 10 is in position with legs 32, 32 straddling bar B; A pin 36 of slightly larger diameter than the diameter of openings 34, 34 and 35 is then tapped through said opening to securely connect the nose guard and face protector.

I claim: I 1. As an article of manufacture, a nose guard for removable and replaceable connection with the forehead portion of an athletic helmet and also with a face guard disposed in fixed space relation to and below said forehead portion, comprising:

a nose protecting bar adapted to be positioned between said forehead portion and said face guard, a plate at the upper end of the bar having openings, means receivable in said openings for removably securing said plate to said forehead portion of the helmet, a bifurcated means at the lower'end of the bar adapted to engage said face guard, said bifurcated means being constructed of resilient material for yieldable engagement with the upper portion of said face guard,

and connecting means at the lower end of the bar for detachably securing the lower end of said nose protecting bar to said face guard.

2. As an article of manufacture, a nose guardaccording to claim 1 wherein the connecting means is in'the form of an inverted U-shaped yieldable clamp fitting over and embracing a portion of the face guard.

3. As an article of manufacture, a nose guard according to claim 1, wherein the connecting means includes a socket on the lower end of the nose protecting bar and complementary stud on the face guard.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

1. AS AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE, A NOSE GUARD FOR REMOVABLE AND REPLACEABLE CONNECTION WITH THE FOREHEAD PORTION OF AN ATHLETIC HELMET AND ALSO WITH A FACE GUARD DISPOSED IN FIXED SPACE RELATION TO AND BELOW SAID FOREHEAD PORTION, COMPRISING: A NOSE PROTECTING BAR ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID FOREHEAD PORTION AND SAID FACE GUARD, A PLATE AT THE UPPER END OF THE BAR HAVING OPENINGS, MEANS RECEIVABLE IN SAID OPENINGS FOR REMOVABLY SECURING SAID PLATE TO SAID FOREHEAD PORTION OF THE HELMET, A BIFURCATED MEANS AT THE LOWER END OF THE BAR ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID FACE GUARD, SAID BIFURCATED MEANS BEING CONSTRUCTED OF RESILIENT MATERIAL FOR YIELDABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID FACE GUARD, AND CONNECTING MEANS AT THE LOWER END OF THE BAR FOR DETACHABLY SECURING THE LOWER END OF SAID NOSE PROTECTING BAR TO SAID FACE GUARD. 